1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tag attacher, and more particularly to a tag attacher for use in affixing price tags or the like to articles with synthetic resin tag pins.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Synthetic resin tag pins have heretofore been used to attach price tags or the like to articles.
Each tag pin consists of a head portion, a lateral rod, and a filament connecting the mentioned two portions together. The tag pin as a whole is substantially in the shape of the letter "H". This tag pin is affixed to an article by using a tag attacher. In order to carry out a tag pin-affixing operation conveniently, a tag pin assembly is molded out of synthetic resin into an integral comb-like body consisting of a plurality of tag pins joined to a connecting bar with the tag pins arranged at predetermined intervals in the direction of the thickness thereof or spaced in this direction with a predetermined pitch.
Thus, the tag pins are joined via their respective connecting portions to the connecting bar to form a comb-like body, the number of tag pins provided therein being as large as 30-100.
It has been desired that not one but a plurality of types of tag pins having filaments of various lengths be manufactured. It is necessary to selectively use tag pins having filaments of different lengths in accordance with the kind of articles to which the tag pins are to be attached. In some cases, it is necessary to use tag pins having head portions of different sizes. When the length of the filaments and the sizes of the head portions of the tag pins are varied, the intervals or pitch thereof is necessarily varied.
On the other hand, the tag attacher is generally in the shape of a pistol. Every time the lever of the pistol type tag attacher is drawn, a tag pin is separated from a tag pin assembly loaded therein. The lateral rod of the tag pin is then guided into the bore of a side-slotted hollow needle fixed to the front of the tag attacher to be passed through a price tag or the like and an article. When the tag pin has been completely forced out from the hollow needle, the price tag or the like is affixed to the article therewith.
A conventional tag attacher employs a means for feeding a tag pin assembly which consists of a gear. The teeth of the gear fit among the connecting portions of the tag pins which join the tag pins to the connecting bar of the tag assembly. The tag pins are intermittently fed by the gear to the inlet of the hollow needle referred to above.
However, since the pitch of the teeth of the gear constituting the tag pin feed means is, of course, fixed, it is clear that the tag attacher can only use a tag assembly that has tag pins spaced with the same pitch as the teeth of the gear.
Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of tag attachers which can attach tag pin assemblies having connecting portions of various pitches. In addition, the size of each portion of the tag pins varies depending upon the manufacturer thereof, so it is difficult to load tag pins made by various manufacturers with one tag attacher. Thus there is a demand for a tag attacher free from the above-mentioned problems which can affix various types of tag pins to articles.